Gram Rabbit - American Hookers
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Tabula Smaragdina
The Emerald Tablet
The Smaragdine, or Emerald Table (Tabula Smaragdina) is a short alchemical work attributed by medieval commentators to Hermes Trismegistus. It first occurs in the writings of the Arab Jabir ibn Hayyan (i.e. Geber) who lived in the eigth century, but it has been thought to be much older (see Burckhardt). There were many manuscripts of it circulating at the time of Agrippa. Ortolanus (or Hortulanus) the alchemist wrote a commentary devoted to the Emerald tablet around 1350. It is worth noting that Trithemius quotes the Tablet in full in his letter to Germanus de Gonay, dated August 24, 1505.
The Smaragdine, or Emerald Table (Tabula Smaragdina) is a short alchemical work attributed by medieval commentators to Hermes Trismegistus. It first occurs in the writings of the Arab Jabir ibn Hayyan (i.e. Geber) who lived in the eigth century, but it has been thought to be much older (see Burckhardt). There were many manuscripts of it circulating at the time of Agrippa. Ortolanus (or Hortulanus) the alchemist wrote a commentary devoted to the Emerald tablet around 1350. It is worth noting that Trithemius quotes the Tablet in full in his letter to Germanus de Gonay, dated August 24, 1505.
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Hargrave Jennings, in his introduction to a translation of the Hermetic writings by John Everard, relates the legend of the Tablet:
In a treatise attributed to Albertus Magnus, we are told that the tomb of Hermes was discovered by Alexander the Great in a cave near Hebron. In this was found a slab of emerald, which had been taken, from the hands of the dead Hermes, by "Sarah, the wife od Abraham," and which had inscribed upon it, in Phoenician characters, the precepts of the great master concerning the art of making gold.
In a treatise attributed to Albertus Magnus, we are told that the tomb of Hermes was discovered by Alexander the Great in a cave near Hebron. In this was found a slab of emerald, which had been taken, from the hands of the dead Hermes, by "Sarah, the wife od Abraham," and which had inscribed upon it, in Phoenician characters, the precepts of the great master concerning the art of making gold.
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This inscription consisted of thirteen sentences, and is to be found in numerous alchemical works.
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The Subject of the Tablet is the alchemical Great work, or as it is here described, "the work of the Sun". This may be regarded in the higher sense as the material death and spiritual rebirth of the soul, or in the lower sense as the physical transformation of base metal into gold. Agrippa admits in ch. XIV, bk.1, that he has participated in alchemical experiments and has succeeded in creating gold, but no more by weight than the quintessence of gold used in the experiment. But he certainly valued the Tablet more as a repository, in cryptic shorthand form, of the great Hermetic principles, particularly the second sentence, which sums up the entire philosophical ground of occultism in the Middle ages in a few words.
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The Subject of the Tablet is the alchemical Great work, or as it is here described, "the work of the Sun". This may be regarded in the higher sense as the material death and spiritual rebirth of the soul, or in the lower sense as the physical transformation of base metal into gold. Agrippa admits in ch. XIV, bk.1, that he has participated in alchemical experiments and has succeeded in creating gold, but no more by weight than the quintessence of gold used in the experiment. But he certainly valued the Tablet more as a repository, in cryptic shorthand form, of the great Hermetic principles, particularly the second sentence, which sums up the entire philosophical ground of occultism in the Middle ages in a few words.
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The version of the Smaragdine given here is based upon several translations of the Latin text, which is the one Agrippa would have had before him. In composing this version, consideration was also given to the Arabic text. This differs from the Latin in a few points of emphasis, but, it was not thought necessary to depart radically from the sense of the Latin version. The major variation between the two is in Sentence 10, which in Arabic reads: "Thus the microcosm was framed on the macrocosm." The words that translate "of the operation of the Sun" in sentence 13 can also mean "of the work of gold" (de operatione solis), emphasizing the double interpretation that is possible.
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The version of the Smaragdine given here is based upon several translations of the Latin text, which is the one Agrippa would have had before him. In composing this version, consideration was also given to the Arabic text. This differs from the Latin in a few points of emphasis, but, it was not thought necessary to depart radically from the sense of the Latin version. The major variation between the two is in Sentence 10, which in Arabic reads: "Thus the microcosm was framed on the macrocosm." The words that translate "of the operation of the Sun" in sentence 13 can also mean "of the work of gold" (de operatione solis), emphasizing the double interpretation that is possible.
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Some translators combine the first and second Sentences, making a total of 12, but I have preferred to separate the two to emphasize that the "truth" referred to in Sentence 1 applies to the entire Tablet.
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Emerald Tablet
of Hermes Trismegistus
1. It is true, without falsehood, and most certain.
2. What is below is like that which is above ; and what is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the miracle of the one thing.
3. As all things were formed from one, by the thought of one, so all things are born from this one thing, by choice.
4. Its father is the Sun, its mother the moon, the Wind carries it in its belly, its nurse is the Earth.
5. It is the author of all perfection throughout the World.
6. The power is strong when changed into Earth.
7. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subject from the gross, gently and with care.
8. Ascend from Earth to Heaven, and descend again to Earth, to unite the power of higher and lower things ; thus you will obtain the glory of the whole World, and the shadows will leave you.
9. This has more strength than strength itself, for it overcomes all subtle things and penetrates every solid.
10. Thus the world was framed.
11. Hence proceed wonders, which means are here.
12. Therefore I am Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of world philosophy.
13. That which I had to say of the operation of the Sun is perfected.
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Emerald Tablet
of Hermes Trismegistus
1. It is true, without falsehood, and most certain.
2. What is below is like that which is above ; and what is above is like that which is below: to accomplish the miracle of the one thing.
3. As all things were formed from one, by the thought of one, so all things are born from this one thing, by choice.
4. Its father is the Sun, its mother the moon, the Wind carries it in its belly, its nurse is the Earth.
5. It is the author of all perfection throughout the World.
6. The power is strong when changed into Earth.
7. Separate the Earth from the Fire, the subject from the gross, gently and with care.
8. Ascend from Earth to Heaven, and descend again to Earth, to unite the power of higher and lower things ; thus you will obtain the glory of the whole World, and the shadows will leave you.
9. This has more strength than strength itself, for it overcomes all subtle things and penetrates every solid.
10. Thus the world was framed.
11. Hence proceed wonders, which means are here.
12. Therefore I am Hermes Trismegistus, having the three parts of world philosophy.
13. That which I had to say of the operation of the Sun is perfected.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Roll your own...
This is what mine will look like- its the SS1 package, and painted just like I'd want the 69 painted...
Lauren asked me what it would take for us to leave Texas and move to Kansas. "Let me buy that fucking camaro and I'll start packing today"....
The Singapore job fell through. So, she's looking in Kansas now (good luck). Some people may not like the new camaro, or think it looks too much like the Mustang, but it's got a lot in common with my favorite model (the 69 of course). I love that back side window. Perfect. Plus the Camaro team has put a LOT of work into this project- a helluva lot more than the Mustang team, and 10 times more effort than Dodge put into that lackluster Challenger....
By the way- list price as pictured above is right at $32,000. Hell, I can just have her trade her big ole badass pickup in and she can drive the Durango if she wants to move so bad...
Behind the wheel of that beautiful machine, I won't give a damn if I'm in Texas, Kansas, or fucking timbuktu.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Last caress...
SCENE: Sitting in front of a Computer screen, opening yahoo messenger to a chat window all alone-
ME: I know you ain’t around, but my avatar is a pic of the new kirk
Hopefully new and MUCH improved...
I want to see pics of this baby by the way when it gets here
ME: ACTUALLY, I'd love to see pics of you right now, preggo as hell, but I bet you are avoiding the camera like the plague
ME: Stupid as it may sound, believe it or not- I am more excited that you are expecting than I was for my own new bambino
ME: The only immortality you will ever touch is now growing inside you. Enjoy.
I remember how your eyes lit up, (even decades later) whenever you were happy and excited about something- I hope that time has not eroded that passionate kid inside you.
There has never been a smile that touched me the way yours did- When you-
ME (interrupting my own reverie): Any-way... I digress.
Enjoy. Enjoy. Enjoy.
You deserve this.
ME: This will be my final "ex dipshit-bf waxing drunken poetic in a messenger window all alone" message. I am happy for you.
It ain’t much, but I humbly pass along my best wishes... and a boyish smile that is less shit-eating grin than it is pure, childlike glee for the girl I loved, so long ago, and still.
Enjoy.
(for Angela Christine Rash)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Swagger
Look me in the eyes when you kill me, motherfucker.
If you've got the balls.
Pride is a poor substitute. Not even the same animal.
This ain't pride. This ain't some piss-poor ego trip
This is how it fuckin is, and it is what it is-
when you see it, you know it.
FUCK your illusions and screw your delusions
I try to be a good guy, I really fucking do. All for naught, sometimes. I don't even remember what things like fear or regret are... All I know is what I am. And self-control is the biggest gift I've got.
But sometimes, I just don't feel like giving.
If you've got the balls.
Pride is a poor substitute. Not even the same animal.
This ain't pride. This ain't some piss-poor ego trip
This is how it fuckin is, and it is what it is-
when you see it, you know it.
FUCK your illusions and screw your delusions
I try to be a good guy, I really fucking do. All for naught, sometimes. I don't even remember what things like fear or regret are... All I know is what I am. And self-control is the biggest gift I've got.
But sometimes, I just don't feel like giving.
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